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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign)
FormationNovember 3, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-11-03)[1]
20-4841338[2]
Legal status501(c)(4) advocacy organization[2]
PurposeTo fight for economic justice, human rights, and corporate and political accountability.[2]
Location
MembershipOver 1 million members[3]
Jamie McGurk
Eddie Kurtz[4]
AffiliationsCourage California Institute,
Courage California Super PAC[2]
Revenue$346,372[2] (2014)
Expenses$479,610[2] (2014)
Employees15[2] (2013)
Websitecouragecalifornia.org

Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign[5]) is a California-based 501(c)(4) progressive grassroots advocacy organization founded in 2005.[6] The organization claims an online grassroots activism network of over 1 million members. The group works on a variety of progressive causes including LGBT equality, gun control and healthcare reform, including support of single-payer health care.[7][8][9] The group has taken a role in various California statewide ballot measures, including supporting Proposition 30 and opposing Proposition 32 in 2012.[10]

Courage California's EqualityOnTrial.com was founded to cover the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial when the courtroom forbade live television coverage. Courage California is an affiliate of the ProgressNow advocacy network.[11]

Activities

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In 2011, Courage California organized a flash mob protest against Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Over fifty people danced to Madonna’s hit "Like a Prayer" outside of the 2011 California Republican Party convention. The protest called attention to Bachmann's connections to conversion therapy.[12]

When the California Supreme Court decided it would take six months to rule on the next phase of the Proposition 8 trial, Courage California asked its members for testimony to back the legal challenge of Proposition 8 and other gay-rights litigation. More than 3,000 stories came in.[13]

The group also protested at a fundraiser featuring then-House Speaker John Boehner.[14][15]

In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Courage California worked to pressure large retailers, including Walmart, to stop selling assault rifles, joining with SumOfUs, MoveOn.org and MomsRising to deliver hundreds of thousands of signatures to their store in Newtown, Connecticut.[16] Courage California also lobbied Apple to increase the recommended age from 4 to 12 for an NRA shooting app.[17]

In March 2013, the group partnered with the Daily Kos and MoveOn.org to deliver over 100,000 signatures to the Los Angeles Times opposing a sale of the newspaper, owned by the Tribune Company, to Charles and David Koch.[18] Courage California and Daily Kos members also funded a newspaper ad to appear in the pages of the Los Angeles Times. After the advertising department rejected the ad, Courage Campaign staff revised the ad to add six footnote citations of the Los Angeles Times own reporting regarding the Kochs. Following the petition delivery, the advertising department relented and the advertisement ran on April 3, 2013.[19]

Playing on the “It Gets Better” campaign, Courage California worked with the American Bridge 21st Century to critique Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential elections. This was the first project to track Romney's record on LGBT issues from 1994 to 2012.[20]

Leadership

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Courage Campaign, as it was first called, was founded by Rick Jacobs. In 2013, Jacobs took a leave of absence from the group and was replaced by Paul Song.[21] In November 2014, Eddie Kurtz became the executive director.[22]

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Courage California Institute is a separately incorporated 501(c)(3) charitable organization that educates, defends, and extends human rights and civil rights.[2]

Courage California Super PAC is a separately incorporated super PAC that supports and opposes candidates for federal office.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Courage California Archived 2015-03-15 at the Wayback Machine". Business Search. California Secretary of State. Accessed on April 20, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Courage California. Guidestar. June 30, 2014.
  3. ^ "CourageCampaign (@CourageCampaign) | Twitter". Archived from the original on 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  4. ^ "Who We Are Archived 2016-04-23 at the Wayback Machine". Courage California. Accessed on April 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Courage California, Formerly Courage Campaign, Announces 2020 Rebrand & Name Change". Los Angeles Sentinel. Bakewell Media Publication. 9 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  6. ^ Weigel, David (January 22, 2015). "How the Left Stopped One of Its Favorite Billionaires From Running for Senate". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2015-02-26. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  7. ^ McDonald, Patrick Range (January 29, 2010). "Prop. 8 Trial: Did Courage Campaign Out-Hustle Equality California?". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  8. ^ Kliff, Sarah (June 27, 2012). "If Obamacare falls, California groups plan a single-payer push". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  9. ^ Finnegan, Michael (August 6, 2013). "Rick Jacobs of liberal advocacy group joins Garcetti team". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  10. ^ Rainey, James (December 7, 2012). "COMMENTARY Calif. liberals say tax-hiking Prop. 30 could be model for U.S." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  11. ^ Evans, Will (August 4, 2008). "Profile: Progress Now Action". NPR. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  12. ^ "'Flash mob' targets Michele Bachmann on gay issues" Archived 2012-01-25 at the Wayback Machine. The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  13. ^ “With same-sex marriage on hold, elderly and ailing couples face a length appeals process.” . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2011-12-23.
  14. ^ "Protesters disrupt John Boehner's golf game in Newport Beach" Archived 2011-12-08 at the Wayback Machine. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  15. ^ "Protesters interrupt John Boehner's golf game" Archived 2019-08-07 at the Wayback Machine. NBC News. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
  16. ^ "Anti-gun protesters target Newton-area Walmart " Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 2013-01-15.
  17. ^ “Apple, bowing to outraged New York politicians, raises age restriction on violent NRA shooting app for iPhones and iPods from 4 to 12” Archived 2013-01-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 2013-02-26.
  18. ^ "Activists Warn Rumored Sale to Turn LA Times Into Another Fox News" Archived 2013-04-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ^ "Los Angeles Times relents and decides to run anti-Koch ad" Archived 2013-04-05 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ^ “Web campaign targets Romney’s ‘extreme anti-LGBT agenda’” Archived 2016-03-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2013-02-26.
  21. ^ Richman, Josh (August 6, 2013). "Change of leadership at the Courage Campaign". Political Blotter. Contra Costa Times. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  22. ^ "Eddie Kurtz Named Courage Campaign’s New Executive Director" Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine, Courage Campaign, November 12, 2014
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